The Lion and the Mouse
by maggalina
Summary: Muggle AU Lily is sick and tired of James picking on Severus. She eventually just throws tea in his face and storms away. She knows she will never want anything to do with him or any of his friends that is until one of them decides to also get mad at James and storm out with her. It was the one she never would have expected.


Hogwarts Academy for the Incredibly Gifted was the most prestigious boarding school in all of Great Britain. Perhaps even the world. However it was a bit of a misnomer, while the school was supposed to be for the incredibly gifted as the name would imply over the years it had turned into Hogwarts School for the Incredibly Rich. It is a well-known fact that most rich people cannot stand to have poor people have anything better than them. And it is well-known to most rich people that establishments-especially schools- need lots of money and so are quite willing to accept your moderately gifted child for an incredibly large gift to the school.

When Armando Dippet was headmaster he almost completely got rid of the scholarship program accepting only those who could pay his now very high tuition. It is rumoured that the current leader of the opposition in the House, Tom Riddle, was the only scholarship under his headmastership.

Some families-such as the Potters, Malfoys, and Blacks-had guaranteed their positions in the school for centuries to come. It was only under the current headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, that Hogwarts was again taking on more scholarships.

Severus Snape, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were the most notable scholarship cases of their time. Severus and Lily remained friends while Remus and Peter had become friends with the heirs of two of the richest and most influential families in their class, James Potter and Sirius Black.

In the village by Hogwarts there was a small café named The Three Broomsticks. It had a very magicky feel and while in later years it would be the most popular café in the area at the moment it was Lily Evans favourite place to study. Sometimes Severus would come with her but since they were both accepted they had begun to grow apart and Lily would spend her time alone. She didn't mind she quite liked it that way.

Alone was much better than being harassed by James Potter. Potter was a grade A toe rag. Granted he didn't consider himself better than all the scholarship cases just because they were scholarship cases which was more than Lily could say for a large percentage of the schools population he just considered himself better than everyone.

With him it was constantly 'Hey, Evans! Since I am the best, football player/ looking guy/ person ever, you should go out with me. You would be stupid not too. I mean a great guy like me and a gorgeous girl like you could win prom king and queen without even going.' And that was on a good day.

On a bad day he would pick on Severus. Once he even hung him upside-down on a hook in the girl's bathroom and then shoved a bar of soap in his mouth. She couldn't tell if he picked on Severus because he thought it was funny or because it would get attention from Lily. She suspected it was the latter because afterwards he would always say he would stop if she went out with out with him but not only was that a stupid way to get a girl to like you but Severus' pride wouldn't let her do it.

Tagging along beside James was always Sirius Black. It was rumoured he was the one who decided to put the soap in Severus' mouth. You never saw one without the other and they fed off each other's ideas like twins. James would have an idea Sirius would add on and then it would be perfect. Sirius though only picked on Severus for the fun.

Behind them were Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Both being scholarship students they didn't dare stand up to the other boys. There were very few people who would be friends with them if they did. Peter especially knew that no one would stand up for him if he ever stood up to James and Sirius and became a victim of theirs right beside Severus.

Peter was a little mousy and was very timid about everything. No one knew why he had been taken under the wing of the richer students but Peter especially was not going to question the protection that was offered to him. Even if it meant he had to keep his crush secret.

Peter was completely in love with one Lily Evans but she was everything he was not. She was brave and she would stand up to James and Sirius. While he always felt like trying to stand up to them would feel like walking into a lion's den she was a lioness just as fierce as the rest of them.

He pictured her in his mind. Her sitting at that table in the corner of her favourite café. Taking out her contacts and putting her glasses back on. Pulling her long soft red hair back before putting it over shoulder. Her green eyes would sparkle as she opened a university level chemistry book and began reading and on occasion making corrections. He could picture her perfectly sitting there. Shoulders slumped as she poured over the book. A small smile appearing on her face every so often and other times she would merely bite her lip in concentration.

Then there was him. Mousy was the best word for him. His hair, his face, his personality. His Chinese Zodiac sign was even the rat! Lily was a pig. Generous, honest, compassionate. Everything that was Lily. And he was just background. He could slip away and no one would notice. Lily filled a room with all that was good. When she left the sun didn't shine as bright and the birds didn't sing as well.

He wished he could be more like her. If he was more like her maybe he would love himself. If he was more like her maybe she would love him. He decided then that he would be more like her if only so he could love himself.

His opportunity came sooner than expected. James had learned that Lily enjoyed drinking peppermint tea in The Three Broomsticks and decided to meet her there. What he hadn't bothered to find out was that Severus would occasionally join her. Peter didn't think that would stop him from coming, in fact it may have actually encouraged him.

As usual James started to pick on Severus seeming not to notice how angry Lily got the more he did it. Eventually Lily blew up him no longer caring about Severus' damn pride. She told him everything she thought about him and all the reasons why she would never go out with him in a thousand years.

Then she threw her hot tea in his face.

Then she grabbed Severus' hand and he was still so shocked that he didn't object.

Then she stormed out. Just like that.

James took a moment for everything to register-including the heat of the drink- then it all hit at once. He yelled in frustration, screamed in pain, and glared at her retreating back. Then he tried to order Peter to grab him some paper towels.

And he refused.

Then he told James that he deserved it. Not only did Snape not deserve to picked on but Lily doesn't deserve to be objectified like that.

Then Lily turned around. She had her hand on the door it pushed slightly open letting in a light breeze that caused her hair to frame her face like it was a picture frozen forever in a state of awe and disbelief. Like she couldn't believe that anyone. Let alone Peter, would stand beside her as she stood up to James.

She started to see him in a new light. Now he was not the mouse hiding away in a corner letting the big cats fight around him but he became the lion. He risked himself for her. She never saw that coming. She could never have predicted Peter turning from a rat to a man.

She never could have imagined him taking the door from her as he stormed out on his friends.

She never could have imagined seeing Peter as anything but the boy who hid behind those who were bigger than him.

She could never have imagined her heart giving a flutter as his hand brushed hers when he finished opening the door.

Never would she have dreamed that she would chase Peter down leaving Severus behind just to thank him.

Never would she have dreamed that Peter would grab her waist and kiss her.

And never would she have imagined she would like his kiss.


End file.
